Basketball players suspended

File PhotoJavon Ralling has been suspended indefinitely from the Binghamton University men’s basketball team after being
arrested early Sunday morning on State Street. Ralling, a senior, was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

Two members of the Binghamton University men’s basketball have been suspended from the team following their arrests early Sunday morning outside Flashbacks on State Street. Senior Javon Ralling and freshman Jordan Reed were both charged with disorderly conduct, and Ralling was additionally charged with resisting arrest.

The athletic department released a statement Monday afternoon announcing the suspensions, which were enacted immediately in accordance to the department’s policy. The suspensions prohibit Ralling and Reed from participation in any team activity, aside from academic services provided through the Student-Athlete Success Center, until further notice.

In the statement, which was sent out via email, Binghamton University Athletic Director Patrick Elliott is quoted as saying, “We are aware of the situation and regret that it occurred. We will continue to work with law enforcement and the student-athletes to gather information and understand what happened.”

The arrests mark the latest in a slew of controversies surrounding the team, dating back to the scandal-ridden Kevin Broadus era that imploded four seasons ago. Last November, then-head coach Mark Macon announced the dismissal of senior Kyrie Sutton, the last player remaining from the Broadus era, following multiple arrests. After leading the team to a 1-28 regular season record, Macon himself was dismissed in April.

The hiring of Tommy Dempsey as head coach last spring was viewed by many as a fresh start for a team bogged down with the errors of its past. This weekend’s arrests could hinder that progress. But Elliott said it’s still too early to determine that.

“We regret that the situation occurred and that it did in fact happen,” Elliott said. “It’s disappointing but at the same time there’s a lot of information that we still don’t have.”

Once the legal proceedings have been resolved, Ralling and Reed will be permitted to submit written statements for reinstatement to the team. Dempsey and the Athletics Review Board, which is comprised of at least three associate athletic directors, would then review the statements and submit a recommendation to Elliott, who would make the final decisions.

Elliott said that if the athletes were reinstated, he would talk to Dempsey to determine what sanctions would follow.

“When we have situations such as this, we want to find out all the facts,” Elliott said. “We want to find out what happened. We want the judicial process to go forward and to play out and at the same time we want to assess the conduct of our student-athletes and based upon that be able to make decisions as best as we can. “

Elliott stressed the athletic department’s priority of remaining transparent throughout the process.

“What we did with this statement that we sent out was we wanted to provide all the information that we had up to this point,” Elliott said. “We’re still going to be gathering information and it’s kind of in process … We want to be up front, we want to be transparent about it and we want to let people know that it in fact occurred and to provide what we can provide at this point.”